AFTER publicly wrangling for more than four months, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena yesterday agreed to settle their differences amicably in the mediation process brokered by the Philippine Sports Commission.
“It is with much joy that we announce that both parties have agreed to a settlement and the proceedings ended successfully,” a PSC statement said after the fifth session of virtual dialogs between the Patafa and the Italy-based athlete under the supervision of PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez.
“After the fifth session, Mr. (Philip Ella) Juico (Patafa president), Mr. Obiena and Chairman Ramirez met in a private virtual room for discussion. Mr. Obiena expressed his apologies to Patafa, its board members and his teammates, and both have assured each other of forgiveness, to start anew and start over,” the statement added.
As part of the agreement, the Patafa, which is the recognized supreme body by World Athletics for the sport in the country, has agreed to endorse the athlete to the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in May and the world athletic championships in Eugene, Oregon in July, the PSC said.
“Both parties have also agreed that endorsement for participation of Mr. Obiena to other competitions will be subject to the usual rules and regulations of the Patafa, as observed for the participation of all national athletes,” it added.
Ramirez expressed “his happiness that the first-ever sport mediation conducted by the PSC successfully assisted both parties in arriving at a settlement.
“Humility really played a big part in this process. Their (Patafa’s and Obiena’s) decision to enter into this process was their first step towards a successful resolution,” the statement quoted Ramirez as saying.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Olympic Committee has deferred the suspension of the Patafa but the suspension of the Philippine Tennis Association stays.
The POC General Assembly ratified yesterday its Executive Board’s decision to suspend the Philta for 90 days following its failure to heed the International Tennis Federation’s instruction to amend its charter and hold a new election of officers.
Forty-two out of the 55 voting members of the POC ratified Philta’s suspension–more than the required two-thirds vote.
POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, however, deferred putting on the floor Patafa’s suspension.
“In the spirit of sportsmanship and because of the Lenten season, I deferred the move to suspend the Patafa as decided by the POC Executive Board,” Tolentino said. “And because of the unfinished mediation procedure between the Patafa and EJ Obiena, a vote to suspend the athletics federation wasn’t offered to the GA.”
